Smart Home, using the residence as its platform, utilizes the generic cabling technology, network communications technology, security technology, automatic control technology and audio-video technology to integrate the home life-related facilities so as to construct the high-efficiency residential facilities and a management system for the family matters, improve home safety, convenience, comfortableness and artistry, and achieve an environment protection and energy-saving living environment.
The current names for Smart Home are many and varied, for example, Electronic Home (e-Home), Digital family, Home Automation, Home net/Networks for Home, Network Home, Intelligent home, etc. Although the names are different, their meanings and desired functions are basically the same.
Smart Home is defined as a system utilizing computer, network and generic cabling technologies to integrate various home life-related subsystems through the family information management platform. First of all, building a communication network at the home, providing the necessary channels for the family information, under the control of the family network operating system, the control and monitoring of all home appliances and facilities on the family network can be realized through the corresponding hardware and executive mechanisms. Secondly, they all form communication channels with the outside through a media in order to communicate information with the outside world (except for the home) and satisfy the need for the remote control/monitoring and information exchange. Lastly, their final goal is to satisfy people's need for safety, comfortableness, convenience and green environmental protection.
With the development of communication technology, when the wired Smart Home is forced out of the market due to intricate cabling, difficulty to promote and excessive cost, the wireless transmission technology becomes the best choice for the new generation Smart Home due to no need for cabling and easy installation. However Smart Home products on the current market have formed a coordinate situation for the multiple communication technologies (e.g. Bluetooth, WiFi, and ZigBee) due to the merits of different transmission technology. Consequently, the different wireless standards result in the low interoperability between Smart Home products from different manufacturers so as to severely limit the promotion and application of Smart Home.